Dubai meeting could overrule Hair's decision

Malcolm Speed, the chief executive of the International Cricket Council, said the game's ruling body would take legal advice on the crucial question of whether it can over-rule Darrell Hair's decision to penalise Pakistan for ball-tampering at The Oval six days ago.

The issue will also be discussed at a meeting of the chairmen of the 10 full-member nations of the ICC in Dubai a week today, opening up the possibility that the Pakistan captain, Inzamam-ul-Haq, may yet have the two charges hanging over him, for ball-tampering and bringing the game into disrepute, dropped. "We will obtain the best legal advice we can obtain over the next week about the impact of today's issue," said Speed. "We also need some advice about the power of the executive board to in effect overturn a properly laid Code of Conduct charge by an umpire.

"The president of the ICC, Percy Sonn, has called next week's meeting so that the chairmen of the cricket-playing countries can come together and discuss the issue, and so that we can explain where we are up to and discuss how to move forward. A decision will be made then as to how we will proceed. This has become a big issue, an international issue, and there are all sorts of ramifications that have occurred that we wish hadn't occurred."

Following the disclosure that Hair had offered to stand down from the ICC's panel of elite umpires for a one-off payment of $500,000 (£265,000), Speed said he had a long meeting yesterday with the Australian umpire in which his future was discussed. "Darrell Hair has been in a difficult position since Sunday and as a result of this disclosure that position has been made more difficult," said Speed, who insisted that Hair's request, sent in an email to the ICC's umpires and referees manager, Doug Cowie, had to be revealed for legal reasons.

"I said to Darrell today that while this was a serious issue, that he is not sacked, he is not suspended and he has not been charged. I also said to him that there was no guarantee that each of those three positions would be made indefinitely."

Speed's last point might well be the most significant as far as Hair's future is concerned. Given the damage to the game since the scandal erupted six days ago, the ICC might reach the conclusion that it will be easiest for all concerned if Hair never stands in another international again. But these are early days and Speed - a lawyer himself - went to great lengths not to open himself up to any charges that he might be jumping the gun.

The Pakistan camp last night were expressing confidence that Speed's revelation meant they would have a better chance of overturning the allegations of ball-tampering that have threatened to bring a premature end to their tour. Shaharyar Khan, the chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board, claimed that Inzamam's case - assuming it goes ahead - would now be heard in London by the Sri Lankan match referee Ranjan Madugalle, Pakistan's preferred choice, on September 15, five days after the one-day series ends.

"We feel we can argue that the charge will be overturned," Shaharyar said. "We have felt that from the beginning - it is the reason the team was so upset. The team has worked hard on changing its image and this has ruined that. But let's see what developments take place over the next few days."

Almost forgotten amid the chaos last night was the fact that Pakistan's tour will now continue as planned. The players left their Heathrow hotel for Bristol, the venue of Monday evening's Twenty20 international, at 1.30pm yesterday, and will fulfil the five one-day internationals that follow. That will be a relief to the England and Wales Cricket Board, despite the fact they had lined up a World XI to play in Monday's match and West Indies to step in for the one-day series.

In the longer term, the possibility that Inzamam may now escape the two charges may prevent disruption of the two one-day tournaments coming up. It is not inconceivable that a guilty verdict - certainly with regard to the ball-tampering charge - would have persuaded Inzamam to skip the ICC Champions Trophy, beginning in October, in retaliation. After that, Pakistan's participation at the World Cup might have been under threat, too.